Senior Director, Project Engineering

AbbVie•North Chicago, IL

5d•$206,500 - $393,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr Director Process Engineering BDS CGT sets enterprise direction and senior technical governance for process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing within AbbVie Strategic Investment. The role supports Strategic Investments through engineering leadership, technical expertise, standards development, technical governance and project execution support across multiple manufacturing sites, strategic investments and technology platforms. The role supports engineering activities associated with new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility investments, new production capabilities, strategic capacity creation, advanced manufacturing platforms and new technology deployments across the Strategic Investment portfolio. The role partners with Strategic Investments, manufacturing sites, operations, quality, EHS, validation / CQV and external engineering partners to deliver technically robust and business-aligned engineering solutions. Strategic Investment provides engineering leadership, technical governance, standards development and project execution support across AbbVie’s Strategic Investments and strategic capital portfolio. The organization supports new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing facilities, new platform deployments, strategic capacity creation, advanced biologics and CGT manufacturing capabilities and standards development for emerging technologies across Strategic Investments. Strategic Investment roles are expected to promote common standards, transfer lessons learned across regions and sites, and enable consistent engineering delivery across strategic capital investments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science or a relevant technical discipline required; advanced degree preferred where relevant.
Typically 15+ years of relevant engineering, manufacturing, capital project, technical operations or regulated manufacturing experience.
Demonstrated technical capability in biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery.
Experience supporting biologics drug substance, cell therapy, gene therapy, viral vector, mRNA, sterile biologics or similarly regulated biopharmaceutical manufacturing environments preferred.
Demonstrated ability to work across global functions, manufacturing sites, project teams, suppliers, vendors and external engineering partners.
Strong communication, risk management, technical judgment, stakeholder engagement and structured problem-solving skills.
Biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process design and process package review
Front-end engineering and concept development
Biologics and CGT technology transfer, platform deployment and manufacturing scale-up
Process safety and CQV interfaces
Strategic Investment support
Strategic capital investment and new biologics / CGT technology deployment support
Engineering governance and standards
Development of engineering standards and deployment requirements for emerging biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing technologies
Technical understanding of bioreactor, harvest, purification, single-use, closed processing, aseptic processing, viral vector, cell processing and cryogenic / cold-chain interfaces as applicable to biologics and CGT platforms
Technical risk management
Project execution support
Stakeholder management
Vendor / partner technical coordination
GMP and regulated manufacturing awareness
Operational readiness and handover support
Strategic thinking and enterprise mindset
Matrix leadership and influence without direct authority
Clear technical communication and executive-ready recommendations
Risk-based decision making and issue escalation
Collaboration across functions, sites, regions and external partners
Capability building, mentoring and knowledge sharing
Continuous improvement and commitment to safety, quality and compliance

Nice To Haves

advanced degree preferred where relevant
Experience supporting biologics drug substance, cell therapy, gene therapy, viral vector, mRNA, sterile biologics or similarly regulated biopharmaceutical manufacturing environments preferred.

Responsibilities

Establish, maintain and deploy global engineering standards, technical practices and governance expectations for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery.
Drive consistent application of technical standards, design principles, lessons learned and engineering playbooks across regions, sites and capital projects.
Define enterprise standards, engineering requirements and technical guardrails for new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy technologies, including requirements for consistent design, deployment, qualification, operation and scale-up across Strategic Investments.
Ensure discipline strategies support AbbVie’s long-range Strategic Investment objectives, strategic investment programs and adoption of new technologies across future manufacturing platforms.
Provide governance and escalation for technical decisions with material safety, quality, compliance, cost, schedule, operability or lifecycle impact.
Provide engineering leadership for strategic capital investments, including new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy facility builds, technology platform deployments, new production capabilities, strategic capacity projects and lifecycle technology upgrades.
Support front-end engineering, facility concept development, investment option evaluation, manufacturing capability assessments and site / platform planning activities for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy assets.
Partner with Strategic Investments and project leadership to ensure technical assumptions, deliverables, risks and resource needs are integrated into capital program plans.
Apply Strategic Investment lessons learned and standards to improve project quality, speed, reliability and readiness across the portfolio.
Lead or support technical decision-making for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery across multiple manufacturing sites, capital projects and technology platforms.
Ensure engineering deliverables support safety, quality, compliance, operability, maintainability, reliability, sustainability and operational readiness.
Coordinate technical input from project teams, site SMEs, external engineering partners, vendors and cross-functional stakeholders.
Drive timely resolution of technical issues and ensure suitable escalation when decisions have broader project, network or business impact.
Partner with Strategic Investments, manufacturing operations, quality, validation / CQV, EHS, site engineering, MS&T, supply chain, finance and related engineering disciplines.
Ensure discipline decisions are integrated with biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing strategy, network capacity, technology platform deployment, regulatory expectations and site handover needs.
Facilitate collaboration across Strategic Investments, sites and project teams to avoid fragmented solutions and drive consistency across the strategic capital portfolio.
Represent Strategic Investment in technical reviews, project forums and risk discussions relevant to assigned scope.
Share engineering best practices, lessons learned and technical knowledge across sites, regions and projects.
Build capability through coaching, mentoring, technical review discipline and development of reusable engineering practices.
Promote a culture of engineering excellence, safety, quality, reliability, collaboration, accountability and proactive risk management.
Support continuous improvement of Strategic Investment standards, templates, knowledge management and project delivery approaches.
Collaborate across Strategic Investments to identify, develop and deploy best practices, technical standards, lessons learned and capability-building initiatives.
Promote consistency, quality, reliability, sustainability and project delivery performance across regions, sites and capital projects.
Support long-range manufacturing strategy, strategic investment planning and Strategic Investment capability development.
Build technical capability through coaching, mentoring, standards governance, knowledge management and cross-functional collaboration.
Lead, coach and develop a high-performing technical engineering team with clear priorities, accountability, development plans and delivery expectations aligned to Strategic Investment objectives.
Set technical direction for the engineering team, ensuring work is prioritized against safety, quality, compliance, business value, capital delivery needs and long-range manufacturing strategy.
Build technical bench strength by identifying capability gaps, developing succession depth, mentoring senior engineers and enabling knowledge transfer across sites, projects and technology platforms.
Create an inclusive, disciplined technical decision-making environment where engineers challenge assumptions, manage risk transparently and escalate decisions with material safety, compliance, cost, schedule or operability impact.
Align team performance with enterprise standards by reinforcing consistent engineering practices, structured technical reviews, lessons learned adoption and measurable delivery outcomes.